On Thursday a concerning issue was reported to the Supreme Court regarding attack on Senior Advocate Gaurav Bhatia at a court in Noida. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh brought the incident to the attention of a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, describing how a lawyer forcefully removed Bhatia’s advocate band. Singh urged the Supreme Court to take immediate action against the perpetrators.
The Bar Council of India has acknowledged the incident, assuring that necessary actions are underway. The incident not only involved Bhatia but also a female lawyer who was accompanying him. She, too, was present before the Chief Justice and recounted her ordeal of being pushed and attacked, with demands to leave the premises.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, took the matter seriously, highlighting the urgency of the situation as brought forth by notable figures including the Attorney General KK Venugopal, Mr. Vikas Singh, and Mr. Jayant Bhushan.
Chief Justice Chandrachud referenced past judgments condemning strikes by bar associations, emphasizing how such actions directly affect litigants, the primary stakeholders in the judicial process. Given the gravity of the attack on two members of the Supreme Court Bar Association, the court decided to bypass the usual requirement of a formal petition and directly initiated a suo motu writ petition.
The court issued several directives, including the preservation of CCTV footage of the incident by the District Judge of Gautam Budh Nagar and the submission of a detailed report on the incident to the Supreme Court.
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The court also requested a report from the administrative staff of Court No. 8, where the assault on Ms. Muskan Gupta allegedly occurred.
Notices have been issued to the President and Secretary of the Janpath Diwani Bar Association of Gautam Budh Nagar, demanding their response by April 1, 2024.
The Supreme Court’s decisive action underscores its commitment to maintaining the dignity and safety of legal practitioners within the judicial system.
